Special Irish Building Report: Security – Protect your investment

The forthcoming issue of Irish Building Magazine will feature a special report on protecting against crime in the Building Sector, looking at security on our building sites and in our offices.

Crime is reported as being on the decline in Ireland yet Burglary has bucked the downward trend by increasing by 15 per cent in the year to the end of March, it will prove foolhardy to cut corners when it comes to protecting your assets. For the first time ever a panel of experts will be brought together to discuss how the industry can protect itself against increasing levels of theft based crime. In an Irish Times report Prof Dermot Walsh from the University of Limerick stated that The reduction in the Garda overtime budget and in the numbers in the force means fewer Gardaí on the beat catching criminals compared to just a few years ago.

In the report went on to say “We also see more demands on Garda time to investigate increasing thefts and burglaries now, and there has been a big push in recent years with road-traffic enforcement. So they’re all very big pulls when Garda resources are scarcer.”

The Garda overtime budget peaked in 2007 at €135.4 million. There was also an additional €20 million for overtime under Operation Anvil, a dedicated nationwide operation targeting organised crime, making a total overtime budget of €155.4 million. This year, the Garda’s overtime budget is €54 million, with no separate provision for Operation Anvil. That means Garda overtime has fallen by almost two thirds since 2007.

Meanwhile, with Garda recruitment now frozen, numbers in the force have fallen to 13,567 as of June 30th, from a peak of 14,400 in early 2011. That will be reduced further by the end of 2014 to 13,000 members.

If you are involved in the Security Sector get in touch, we would like to hear from experts in the area of security and site protection actively working in our industry. Call Colin Walsh on 01 4429264 or email: colinwalsh@irishbuildingmagazine.ie